Age and experience

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The comparison between practitioners from the medical community and commercial pilots is unhelpful

Sir, Physical dexterity may indeed decline with age (letter,
Dec 1) but your surgical correspondent is incorrect with his facts.
Commercial pilots do not face mandatory retirement in their 50s, as stated,
but may continue flying, albeit with medical surveillance, until 65.

This was adopted in the United States in December 2007 and reinforced in
September this year by the European Court of Justice which ruled against
forcible earlier retirement by Lufthansa. The reason? Greater experience in
the cockpit is deemed desirable.

In the operating theatre, younger consultants may indeed prove cheaper and
more dextrous, but this is no help if